|
Alfred Saker (21 July 1814 in Wrotham, Kent — 12 March 1880 in Peckham) was a British missionary. In 1858 he founded the Cameroon city of Victoria, since renamed Limbé, with Jamaican settlers from Fernando Po when Spanish authorities no longer allowed Baptist churches there. Alfred Saker wished to be known under no other designation than a "Missionary to Africa". He was a leader of the early British Baptist missionaries that established churches on Fernando Po Island and Cameroon. His 1844-1876 mission work included translation〔http://archive.org/stream/grammaticalelem00sakegoog#page/n57/mode/2up〕 - between 1862 and 1872 - of the Bible into the Duala language. == Introduction to the context of Missionary works == On the West African coast, from the highlands of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the coast scenery and lowlands present no feature of interest till the mouths of the river Niger and the Rio-del-Rey are passed. Then the two grand volcanic peaks of Fernando Po and Cameroons rivet the attention. The first navigators saw the fires of these volcanoes from their vessels and deemed this passage to be the gate of hell. With terrors, they imagined the continent beyond were the home of demons and evil spirits.〔''Alfred Saker: The Pioneer of the Cameroons'' (1908), p. 10, by his daughter Emily M. Saker, ()〕 In 1482-84, Diego Cam, the Portuguese commander, from Fernando Po, discovered the Congo River and district. In 1796, Mungo Park revealed the position of the Niger and its upper waters. Till 1830, its course to the ocean was not determined. During these years, the slave-trade had been carried on along the coasts of Africa. In 1772 the freedom of the slave on British soil was secured. From the year 1815, English cruisers patrolled; rescued slaves being placed in the Sierra Leone. The treaties with the native encouraged legitimate trade in useful commodities in lieu of human lives traffic. The improved commercial relations opened the way for permanent missions. Alfred Saker did his missionary work in the Cameroons, West Africa, in this context. The value of the work accomplished in Cameroons]is witnessed to by the continuity and growth of the Christian church in the area till today.〔Alfred Saker: The Pioneer of the Cameroons (1908), Author: His daughter Emily M. Saker, ISBN 9781164092612, p. 12 ()〕 In 1879, Mr. Comber, pioneer of the Congo Mission of the Baptist Missionary Society, obtained some helpers from the Cameroons. He wrote: ‘I have secured as my teacher Epea and Soppo, his wife, will accompany him. Both seem very willing to come to the Congo with me. . . . Duoro, Mbenge, Mbolu () are splendid fellows, (). Epea and Ebolu, native teachers, schoolmasters, carpenters, etc., are two of Mr. Saker’s boys.〔''Alfred Saker: The Pioneer of the Cameroons'' (1908), p. 13, by his daughter Emily M. Saker, ()〕 In 1885 Germany stepped in and hoisted its flag over the whole Cameroons district. In the following year the Baptist church missionaries retired, leaving the field to the Basel Mission.〔''Alfred Saker: The Pioneer of the Cameroons'' (1908), p. 12, by his daughter Emily M. Saker, ()〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alfred Saker」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|